This Wasted Heart Will Love You
by Enraptured
Summary: AU NanoFate. Takamachi Nanoha transfers to a new high school, and there, she meets a cold, mysterious, burgundy-eyed blonde who takes her breath away.
1. Chapter 1

Seventeen year old Takamachi Nanoha heaved a huge sigh, directing her breath upwards to blow her bangs away from her forehead.

If there was one thing she hated, it was transferring to a new school.

Looking warily at the looming school gates, the brunette adjusted her bag for the fourth time that minute, trying to stifle the panic of being in a totally new environment. Slate blue eyes scanned the area for someone to ask directions from, but everyone seemed to be rushing to various destinations. All the other students were in groups of friends, there wasn't anyone other than her who was alone.

She sighed. If there was one thing she hated more, it was transferring to a new school in the middle of the semester.

Feeling extremely self-conscious, Nanoha walked briskly across the grounds, pretending not to notice that all eyes were on her. First day of school was always the hardest and transferring mid-term was definitely not helping. She wandered around, trying not to look like someone who was totally lost. She was hoping that she'd come across a signboard directing her where to go while she paced aimlessly, but so far the halls were bare.

… Why _were_ the corridors so empty, by the way?

Her question was answered by the shrill ringing of the last bell, signifying the start of lessons. And the fact that she was late.

Nanoha wanted to bang her head against the lockers. If there was one thing she hated most, it was being late on the first day of transferring to a new school in the middle of the semester.

**Drama Doesn't Follow Me,**

(It Rides on my Back)

-Enraptured

_& This Wasted Heart Will Love You (I)_

x**x**x

"I'm so sorry!" Nanoha apologized profusely, bowing down yet again to the annoyed man.

"You may be new, but such tardiness is not tolerated in our school, am I understood?" the sensei scolded sternly, peering over his glasses at her. There were a few snickers from the back of the class, and the brunette blushed even harder.

Nanoha winced, nodding meekly and cursing her luck. Not even one hour in the new school and she had managed to get herself embarrassed, lost, and now reprimanded. She had been led to her class by the disgruntled school custodian after wandering the halls for what seemed like hours, and ended up interrupting the lecture more than half an hour late.

Great, a grand entrance. Just what she needed.

Head hung, Nanoha stared determinedly at the ground as she hurriedly made her way across the floor to the only available seat. She pulled out the chair and cringed when it scraped against the floor painfully loud, drawing several disapproving glares.

"Oops, I'm sorry about that," she whispered apologetically to the girl beside her, hastily sitting down and taking out her books before she caused any other disturbance.

"No problem," the girl replied easily. Smiling brightly, she introduced herself. "I'm Yagami Hayate, pleased to meet you."

Nanoha sighed in relief. At least _someone_ here was friendly.

"I'm Takamachi Nanoha, and I'm really glad to meet you too!"

"You're new here, aren't you?" Hayate shifted in her seat to face Nanoha. Her short brown hair was held back by two cross pins, giving her a rather cute and mischievous look. "We don't usually get many transfer students in the middle of term."

"Ahh, yes, I'm new," Nanoha confirmed. She didn't state the reason why she transferred, though, and thankfully, Hayate didn't pry.

"Pay attention over there," the sensei called, frowning at the two of them. Hayate winked at Nanoha before turning back to face the front, giving her a thumbs up.

Smiling, Nanoha looked down at her textbook. She tried to focus on what the sensei was droning on about, but having joined the class in the middle of lesson, she found herself totally lost. Taking out her timetable instead, she scrutinized it carefully. She was not going to repeat her mistake and end up late in her next class again.

Nanoha was, to put it mildly, _rather annoyed_, to find that she had seven more classes after this, before she was finally free for the day. To make matters worse, four of the seven classes were double period lectures.

How _exciting_.

She sighed. Sarcasm really wasn't becoming of her.

And it _really_ wasn't helping that she was feeling sleepy already. She _knew_ she shouldn't have stayed up late the night before.

Trying to keep awake, Nanoha stared at the minute hand of the clock, staring blankly as it crawled agonizingly slowly on. And it was only the first day! Suppressing her groan, she looked around for something, _anything_, to keep her from falling asleep.

…Ooh. The yellow patterns on the walls sure looked like little dancing bananas.

And the red smudges on the whiteboard looked disturbingly like bean-shaped kidneys.

"…Takamachi-san?"

Not to mention, the boy sitting diagonally opposite her had weird hair. Like… spiky broccoli.

"…Takamachi-san!"

So absorbed in her thoughts was the brunette that she completely didn't register the sensei calling her, until Hayate leaned over and poked her in the arm.

"Psst, Nanoha-san!"

"Huh?" Automatically leaping out of her seat, Nanoha looked around confusedly. Blushing at the laughter that was directed at her from all sides, she hurriedly flipped her textbook to what she hoped was the correct page.

"Takamachi-san, since you are obviously _so_ absorbed in the lesson, let's hear what you think about the importance of the reproductive system," the sensei drawled cynically, raising bushy eyebrows at her.

Flustered, Nanoha did the only thing she could do at a time like this.

Bullshit.

"Um, the reproductive system? Yes, it's very uh, important. Because it is um, the basis of life. Without the reproductive organs, men and women cannot do _it_ and have babies, and without babies, life cannot go…on…?" Laughing nervously and pretending to know what she was talking about, Nanoha trailed off uncertainly at the murderous look the sensei was shooting her.

"Tell me when you actually _finally realize_ that we are on the topic of reproduction in _plants_, Takamachi-san," the sensei sighed exasperatedly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Reproduction in _plants_, not animals."

…Crap.

Face burning furiously for the hundredth time that morning, Nanoha sunk back into her seat, wanting nothing more than to disappear right now and escape the howls of laughter. She buried her head behind her book and tried her best to ignore the laughing.

It was going to be a _long_ day.

x**x**x

"_Finally_," Nanoha grumbled as the last bell rang, indicating the end of the school day. She jammed her stationery into her pencil case and crammed her books into her bag.

"That was just about one of the worst days in history," she spoke aloud, not really caring if anyone heard her. After how she had embarrassed herself that day, she'd be surprised if someone _didn't_ think that she was some weird freak.

Sparing a quick glance out of the classroom window, the brunette groaned again when she glimpsed the setting sun.

"Great. And now it's too late for me to figure out the map of this bloody school by myself." She ranted, oblivious to the amused pair of eyes that were watching her. "Which means," she continued, "that I will most probably, no, _definitely_, be late for class again tomorrow. Remind me again why I hate first day of school please."

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Nanoha was about to leave in a huff when she finally realized that someone was staring at her.

"I can show you around the school, if you like," Hayate offered, smiling brightly at Nanoha.

"Ahh, no, it's okay!" Nanoha declined quickly, embarrassed at being caught complaining to herself. "I don't want to bother you!"

"It's not trouble at all, really," Hayate assured, standing and shouldering her bag. "Besides, this is a pretty large school, and we wouldn't want you to get lost again tomorrow, right?" There was a good natured mirth shining in Hayate's blue eyes, and Nanoha couldn't help feeling hopeful.

"Really?" Nanoha didn't dare to believe her luck.

"Really," Hayate laughed at Nanoha's obvious enthusiasm. "Come on!"

Already halfway out of the classroom, Hayate beckoned for Nanoha to follow her. Feeling a little bad, the brunette did as she was told, falling into step beside the shorter female.

Amidst some idle chatter, the two of them managed to cover most of the more important venues. Hayate was very patient with Nanoha, giving the bemused girl a verbal narration of each area and its functions, making sure Nanoha was clear before moving on to the next destination. Before long, it started to get late and Hayate had to leave.

'I'm sorry, it's getting late, and I have to go," Hayate apologized, checking her watch and doing a double take at the time. The sky was already dark, the sun having set quite a while ago.

"I'll walk you home," Nanoha immediately offered, seizing the opportunity to do something in return for her friend.

"You don't have to," Hayate grinned. "But you can, if you want to."

Nanoha nodded eagerly, marveling at how well they got on despite just meeting each other.

"I'm not heading home though," Hayate informed. "I'm heading towards this café where I help out part time after school."

"You have a part time job?" Nanoha wondered aloud. "Won't your parents be afraid that it'll affect your studies?"

"My parents died when I was really young. I live with my relatives now, and they're pretty cool." Hayate shrugged, smiling at Nanoha to show her that she wasn't the least bit upset by her question. "They let me do my own thing, so long as I get decent grades and all."

"I'm so sorry!" Nanoha stammered, mentally kicking herself. "I shouldn't have asked that!"

"Don't worry about it," Hayate assured her. "I don't remember much of my parents anyway, so it's okay."

"Still…" Nanoha mumbled, looking away. How horrible it was, to have to live without parents.

"It's really not that bad," Hayate said. "Sometimes I guess it's really for the best? I'm happy with my life now anyway."

Nanoha nodded, not saying anything. She was gaining a growing admiration for her new friend. Hayate seemed really optimistic and sweet, always seeming to look on the bright side of things. Not to mention that she had gone out of her way to help her too. Nanoha found herself liking the cheerful girl more and more.

The two of them stopped outside a brightly-lit club, and Nanoha raised her eyebrows at the name of the place.

"Heh, I guess I have some rather unique interests," Hayate blushed happily.

"You cosplay?" The incredulous look on Nanoha's face sent Hayate into a fit of giggles.

"Nah, I help out with the costumes here," Hayate explained. "I'm really in to designing outfits for people."

"Oh, I see! That's pretty cool, maybe I can come over one day and see your works!"

Hayate beamed. "That'd be great, but you better get going first, it's pretty late and the streets around here aren't all that safe at night," she warned.

Nanoha nodded, glancing at her watch. It was much later than she had expected, and to be honest, she wasn't looking forward to walking around alone at night.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then!" Nanoha waved. "Thanks again for today!"

Feeling as though her day wasn't a complete waste of time after all, the brunette started to retrace her path home. She didn't get very far when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. Her skin prickled, and she had the sudden feeling that she was being followed.

"…" Swallowing nervously, she chanced a glance over her shoulder, but the street was empty. Not liking the apprehensive feeling she was getting, she quickened her pace, senses on the alert.

She heard footsteps now, a jumble of inconsistent pattering on the pavement behind her. There was some mumbling, and then it was quiet again.

She stifled a curse.

Nanoha was running now, running from she didn't know what. She didn't even know if she was overacting, she just knew she wanted to get away from heavy treads she could hear.

The footsteps quickened, and became louder as their owners started running too.

She was outside the closed school gates when they caught up with her.

"Hey beautiful," a nearly incoherent slur, followed by drunken laughter.

Nanoha ignored him -

Which was something he obviously didn't appreciate, because the next moment, her bag was roughly wrenched from her grasp. It dangled from his fingers, tauntingly out of reach. The stranger in front of her, a male, looked about her age, with explosive dark hair and a black leather jacket.

He was… big. And tall, too.

Nanoha stiffened, and her heart thumped faster.

The usual street thug. Nothing she couldn't handle, right?

Even as she considered her options, two other figures were stumbling out from the shadows. They stood leering, slightly behind the first.

Right. The usual street thugs.

Three of them.

Nothing she couldn't handle.

"Give that back," Nanoha demanded, trying to sound assertive. Except that her quavering voice probably diminished her scary factor.

"Oho," the leader smirked, dangling her bag inches from her face and snatching it back when Nanoha made for it. "What's the matter, baby? Got something special in this?"

This wasn't her day.

Slowly, deliberately, he licked his lips, grinning carnivorously at her. Fingers fumbled with the zipper, before he wrenched her bag open, spilling its contents onto the floor.

"You-

Nanoha lunged forward, seething in anger, when one of the two cronies intervened, grabbing her wrists and slamming her against the gate. The jarring rattle of metal on metal was unnaturally loud in the too-silent night, and Nanoha was suddenly aware of just how deserted the streets were at this hour.

"Ooh, this one's got a temper," the one holding her laughed, breath reeking of alcohol.

"And this one's got bad breath," Nanoha muttered, wincing at the stench.

"I heard that, bitch!"

Nanoha gasped as she was again shoved backwards, the hard contact causing tears to fill her eyes. Blinking rapidly to clear her vision, Nanoha struggled hard, kicking anything she could land her feet on.

"Hold still, damn it," her captor grunted, tightening his grip on her wrists. Nanoha couldn't help but notice that for someone who was drunk, he certainly had a vice-like grip.

A very painful one, at that.

Nanoha refused to be beaten by a stupid, blundering, intoxicated bully.

A burst of energy sent her slamming her foot right where it hurt most, and the immediate howl of pain told her that she had hit her mark.

Her hands suddenly released, Nanoha seized her chance to bolt away.

She didn't get very far.

A well-placed punch sent her sprawling to the floor, knocking the breath out of her.

Great. She forgot about the other two.

Panicking now, she scrambled across the ground, her only concern being to get as far away from this place as possible.

"You bloody bitch!" The guy she had kicked was roaring, starting towards her with his huge fist pulled back.

This _really_ wasn't her day.

Instinctively, Nanoha squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the inevitable blow.

…Except that it never came.

Seconds ticked agonizingly past, and Nanoha cracked open an eyelid cautiously, hardly daring to breathe.

Slender fingers were wrapped around a large fist, preventing it from coming any closer to her face.

"What the hell?" The guy swung in with his other arm, but that was also caught, before he was kicked in the stomach and sent careening backwards.

Utterly confused (but not complaining) at the sudden turn of events, Nanoha scrambled to her feet, feeling as though her shaky knees couldn't support her weight. Her rescuer's back was to her, and all she could see was long blonde hair cascading over shoulders that were most definitely female. Before she even had time to admire the beautiful golden strands for more than a second, she was screaming a warning for the blonde to duck.

Faster than the eye could follow, the girl was crouched down, dodging the kick that would have otherwise knocked her off her feet. A long leg shot out, tripping her attacker, and he crashed to the floor with a shout of surprise.

Nanoha blinked.

This girl was _fast_.

All Nanoha could see was a mass of movements and the occasional flash of blonde. She was frantic, biting her knuckles between her teeth as she watched worriedly at the flurry of bodies. The girl was no doubt _good_, evading blows with frightening ease. But still, it was a three on one fight, and she was definitely outnumbered.

Nanoha bounced nervously. She couldn't just stand there, she had to do _something_.

In her desperation, the brunette snatched her umbrella from the ground, where it had fallen earlier, and leapt into the fray, bringing it down hard on one of the boys' heads. There was a shout of surprise, before the umbrella was wrenched from her hands.

"…Shit."

Nanoha was knocked backwards, nearly hitting the ground before an arm shot out and grabbed her, hauling her back to her feet. The blonde was in front of her again, the only barrier between Nanoha and the boys.

The tension emitting from both sides was a palpable wave, and Nanoha felt like she was suffocating.

"Leave."

The single word uttered by the blonde was more of a threat than a request. Nanoha felt a shiver run down her spine.

Looking warily at her raised fists, the beat-up brutes exchanged glances uncertainly. The girl feigned a punch, and all three stumbled back in terror.

"C'mon," the leader muttered, backing away with narrowed eyes.

"You'll be sorry for this, bitch," he spat, before they hobbled away and disappeared into the night.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Nanoha closed her eyes and sank to the ground, legs no longer able to support her weight.

"Are you alright?"

Nanoha opened her eyes to the most breathtaking sight she had ever seen.

Blonde hair fluttered slightly in the wind, framing perfect features and a delicate chin. Her fair skin was porcelain smooth, but what drew Nanoha's attention the most was the pair of intense eyes that stared at her from under long lashes. They were wine red, dark and swimming with unreadable emotions that made Nanoha shudder.

Nanoha couldn't speak. Mouth slightly open, she felt a flush rise to her cheeks and prayed that she wasn't blushing. To her horror, she realized that her body wouldn't listen to her, refusing to move.

The girl looked worried at her lack of response, and leaned ever so slightly closer.

Nanoha couldn't breathe now. She felt her heartbeat thundering outrageously fast, blood roaring in her ears. She wanted to say something, _anything_, to thank the blonde for rescuing her.

"T-T-T..."

An eyebrow was raised, and the girl's lips twitched. She looked incredibly amused at Nanoha's inability to speak. Her eyes, however, remained cold and unreadable.

"T-Than.. Y..u."

Close enough.

The blonde smiled a tiny smile and stood, and suddenly Nanoha could breathe again.

Wow. Her rescuer was tall. And her legs were… long. And slender.

_Really_ long and slender.

Shaking her head to rid herself of any weird thoughts, Nanoha got to her feet, bowing repeatedly.

"Um, t-thank you for saving me!"

The girl just nodded slightly, and was about to leave when Nanoha grabbed her arm.

"Um, my name is T-Takamachi Nanoha," she burst out, even as mentally screamed at herself for doing that. "And I'm really, really grateful to you for helping me. I-If there's anything I could do for you…"

Nanoha trailed off awkwardly, blushing when she realized she was still holding the girls hand. Dropping it quickly, she stepped back and bowed again, hands clasped behind her back.

The girl was silent for a long moment, an unfathomable look in her burgundy eyes. After what seemed like eternity, she finally moved, inclining her head as she studied Nanoha.

"Be careful next time, Takamachi-san," was all she said before she turned around and disappeared into the night, leaving Nanoha flushed, confused, and suddenly very very alone.

**End Part One**

* * *

**A/N: **Argh, was that long and draggy? I'm sorry for the boring chapter, bare with me for the first few chapters? :P One thing I hate about AU fics is writing the intro and getting the characters out and all. I promise I have more interesting ideas for the later parts though! :D

And Fate only appeared for the last few minutes, gah.

Anyway, a review would be awesome, so I'd know if I'm wasting my time or not :D Frankly, this is the first time I'm writing a long fic, and I'm terrible at anything that takes lots of work. I'm lazy D: But I just keep getting highschool!nanofate ideas though, meh.


	2. Chapter 2

The second day of school is usually better than the first, Nanoha reassured herself as she stood outside the wooden door of her classroom. Miraculously, she wasn't late.

Heck, she even had time to spare before her first class.

…Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all, to come so early. Not like she had anyone to spend the time with, right?

Taking a deep breath, the nervous brunette placed her hand over the door and slowly slid it open.

**x**x**x**

**Like Vines, We Intertwined**

- Enraptured

_& This Wasted Heart Will Love You (II)_

**x**x**x**

"Ah, Takamachi-san," Hayate grinned and waved, gesturing the empty table to her left. "Thanks again for last night!"

A wide smile crept up Nanoha's face when she realized that Hayate had saved her a seat. So she had been worrying for nothing after all, as usual. Pulling out the chair, the brunette plopped down, adjusting her body to face her friend.

"You're more than welcome, Hayate-chan. Besides, it should be me thanking you for taking time to show me around!" She reached into her bag then, hesitating a little before pulling out a brown paper bag.

"Um, this is thanks for everything yesterday," Nanoha offered the bag to Hayate, averting her eyes shyly. "I didn't know what you like, so I got you something sweet."

Hayate accepted the bag eagerly, peering into it before taking a big sniff and grinning happily.

"Cookies!" She exclaimed, immediately helping herself to one. "You can never go wrong with cookies. Thank you, Takamachi-san!"

"Please, call me Nanoha," the other girl said, happy that her friend liked her gift.

For the next few minutes, there was comfortable silence between the two tablemates as Hayate chewed before speaking up.

"Mm, these are really good, Nanoha-chan," Hayate declared between mouthfuls of chocolate cookie. "Did you make them yourself?"

"Eh, no! My family owns a bakery, these were baked by my mom, I just grabbed a few for you before school," Nanoha hastily clarified, lest Hayate get the wrong idea and ask her to bake something.

Nanoha shuddered when she remembered her last baking disaster. Her parents had gone 360 degrees from 'upset that our daughter can't bake' to 'thank god she keeps out of the kitchen'.

"Thanks all the same," Hayate said, reaching for another cookie. She offered the bag to Nanoha, who shook her head politely.

"So did you get home all right last night? It was pretty late, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you walk with me."

"I _volunteered_," Nanoha emphasized, waving away her friend's apology. "I got back fine."

She paused.

"Though I _did_ run into some trouble," She added, as an afterthought.

Nanoha grimaced, remembering the bullies from the night before and her… unique encounter with the enigmatic blonde.

"Trouble?" Hayate sat up, placing her cookie aside, concerned. "What happened?"

Seeing the worried look on her friend's face, Nanoha instantly felt bad for mentioning the incident. She hated to cause her friends unnecessary worry. Her next few words were carefully thought out, making sure not to reveal too much.

"Well, I ran into this bunch of thugs just outside school," Nanoha explained sheepishly. "They got pretty rough with me," she admitted.

"What!?" Hayate cried, horrified.

"I'm safe though!" Nanoha hurriedly continued, before Hayate started panicking. "This mysterious blonde saved me and scared the thugs away."

Nanoha trailed off, staring into space as she recalled the girl, with her mesmerizing eyes and beautiful hair. Unknown to her, a smile curved her lips.

"Ooh, your knight in shiny armor, huh?" Hayate teased, relaxing now that she knew that her friend wasn't in any danger.

"She was a _girl_," Nanoha rolled her eyes at her friend's enthusiasm. "And she was hardly in _shiny armor_, she was dressed in black, so there." She stuck out her tongue.

_Though she was definitely pretty cool in black all the same…_

"Did you get her name?" Hayate asked.

"No," Nanoha replied, frowning. "She ran off."

Dang.

"Ahh, I guess some things just weren't meant to be," Hayate leaned back, smirking at the brunette.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nanoha shot.

Hayate had an evil gleam in her eye, one that told Nanoha that she was in for it, bad.

"Well, from what I hear, she seems pretty hot huh? The cold, mysterious protector… Too bad she was obviously so repelled by you that she ran away after saving you," she joked. "She would make _such_ a nice girlfriend…"

"Hayate-chan!" Nanoha shouted, embarrassed. She looked around quickly, making sure that no one was eavesdropping on their very private conversation.

"Ooh, you're blushing already!"

Hayate was saved from the onslaught of tickles when the bell rang, signifying the start of lessons.

A blushing Nanoha sank back into her seat, secretly smiling at how she had managed to find such a friend on just her second day of school. She pushed all thoughts of the previous night's encounter out of her head.

She didn't need a certain mysterious, breathtaking, burgundy-eyed blonde to further distract her.

**x**x**x**

Nanoha hugged her books to her chest, walking alongside Hayate during break. She stopped at her locker, twiddling with the combination before the lock clicked open and she shoved her books in.

_What should I cook tonight?_ She wondered. Her parents had told her earlier that morning that they would be staying late in the bakery and she would have to get dinner on her own.

She sighed. She hated eating alone, with nothing but the rhythmic ticking of the clock or the occasional television reruns for company.

_Something simple_, she mused. She had leftover apple pie in the fridge, but then she remembered that the flesh of apples was actually the ovary of the flower, and she winced.

Stupid Biology was ruining her appetite.

So absorbed she was that she didn't even realize that she had collided with someone until she was practically in their arms.

"Mmph!" Nanoha winced, the impact knocking the wind out of her. Blinking rapidly, her vision cleared only to focus on soft pale skin and beautiful blonde hair.

Her heart stopped.

The girl from the night before.

Nanoha was crushed against her, literally depending on her to keep upright. The girl was about a head taller than Nanoha, and the brunette found her face dangerously close to the blonde's slender neck, head tucked under her chin. Nanoha could almost feel her warm, throbbing pulse against bare skin.

There was barely any space between the two bodies, Nanoha having fallen completely against the girl.

Mouth suddenly dry, Nanoha opened her mouth to apologize, but like before, the words wouldn't come. She tried to push away from the girl, but her arms wouldn't move. Even her heartbeat betrayed her, suddenly spiraling out of control as her breathing quickened.

_What is wrong with me?  
_

Almost fearfully, Nanoha lifted her head to look at the blonde, flinching visibly when her gaze met dark burgundy. She couldn't pull her eyes away, as she stared into the unreadable pools of wine red that never seemed to end. There was something swirling in them, emotions Nanoha couldn't even begin to decipher.

Was she angry?

Red eyes dropped to look at where Nanoha was placing her hands, and a flash of annoyance flickered past delicate features, before that perfect face was impassive again. The brunette followed her gaze and was immediately horrified when she saw what the blonde was irritated over.

… No wonder the covered flesh under her palm felt so soft.

_Move!_ Nanoha screamed mentally, hollering for herself to remove her traitorous hands from the girl's front. One hand was wedged in between their bodies, and the other…

A furious blush fought its way up her cheeks.

Nanoha didn't even want to think of where the other hand was.

For all her efforts, she was strangely unable to pull away, as if held immobile by some invisible force.

She stood (or rather, leaned) against the blonde for minutes, maybe hours, she didn't know and she didn't care. Well, she cared, obviously, but another, larger part of her secretly didn't mind the warm softness she was surrounded by. It made her feel safe, almost protected.

She could have fallen asleep upright like that, so comfortable she felt.

"Takamachi-san?"

She was suddenly aware of a pair of hands around her arms, firmly but gently removing her from her tangled position. They held her steady as her knees trembled, making sure she stood steadily before releasing their hold on her.

Nanoha could have sworn that the blonde was looking almost amused as she teetered unsteadily.

"Are you alright?" the quiet voice was laced with the barest bit of genuine concern. "You seem… confused."

"Ahh, S-S-Sor…S!!" Nanoha stuttered and stammered, hating herself for not being able to get such a simple word out.

"S-Sor…S-" The brunette bit her tongue angrily, frustrated. What the hell?! She could actually feel her tongue trembling between her teeth. Or were those her jaws shaking? She really had no idea any more.

"Sorry," she finally managed to force out after what seemed like ages.

Great. She managed to embarrass herself in front of the girl once more. She chanced a glance up at the other girl's face.

Nanoha stifled a growl. That was _definitely_ amusement tingeing her lips.

It wasn't funny, to be struck dumb _and_ immobile by the blonde like that.

Nope, Nanoha definitely wasn't laughing.

She couldn't believe her luck. The blonde from the night before, her rescuer, was in the same school as her. And she had succeeded in looking like a fool in front of her, _again_.

Nanoha didn't know if she was going to laugh or cry.

She got a better look at the taller girl, now that she was actually a decent distance away and not clinging on to her like demented schoolgirl.

She looked… gorgeous, for lack of a better word.

She made the dull school uniform look like the most appealing outfit. Hair as golden as the sun cascaded down her slender frame, more beautiful that Nanoha had remembered. They were held together by a simple black ribbon at the ends, loose strands catching the breeze. The uniform was perfect on her, hugging her curves in a subtly flattering manner. Slim arms were encased by the tough brown fabric of the blazer, stopping just before the wrists to reveal long fingers. Her skirt was not too short, hanging somewhere between her hips and knees. Nanoha noticed that her legs were impossibly long, slightly muscular yet slender.

Nanoha suddenly didn't find the uniform _that_ bad anymore.

"If you'd excuse me," the blonde murmured quietly, brushing past a (still immobile) Nanoha. "Good day, Takamachi-san."

The moment the blonde had turned the corner, Nanoha was reminded of Hayate's presence when a hand gripped her arm tightly.

"Nanoha-chan! You _know_ Testarossa-san?!" the excited tremor in Hayate's hushed voice was obvious even to the deaf.

Nanoha didn't say anything, taking a few long moments to compose herself and get her heart rate back to normal before opening her mouth to speak.

"Ahh, not really," Nanoha replied carefully, still not trusting her voice. "She was the one who saved me last night."

"_What!?"_ Hayate screeched, so loudly that Nanoha was half-certain the entire level could hear her. She half expected the blonde to turn back any moment.

Hurriedly shushing her friend, she guided Hayate out of the school building, determinedly ignoring the stares shot in their direction. She sat them on a wooden bench under a tree, a good distance away from both the pavement and the crowd near the entrance.

"Yes," Nanoha confirmed. "It's definitely her. Why?" She was curious to the big reaction her friend gave.

"Takamachi Nanoha, you are officially the luckiest person on Earth!" Hayate was still ranting, excited glimmer in her eyes.

"Testarossa-san is just about the most popular girl in this school! She caused an uproar when she transferred in, everyone was crazy about her."

"Transferred in?" Nanoha repeated.

"Yeah, she transferred in about a month before you," Hayate informed. "No one knows much about her, she's so elusive and aloof. Lots of people have tried to get close to her though, and they've all failed miserably."

Hayate scowled, as if remembering something.

"She's really pretty," Hayate continued.

Nanoha looked away. As if she didn't already know that.

"She gets a lot of attention in the sports arena, too. She's really fast. Testarossa-san's already been approached by a few teams, but she doesn't seem interested. She's the kind with fans but no friends, you know?" Hayate paused. "Not like she wants friends anyway."

There was a period of silence after Hayate's small speech as Nanoha digested all the information. She looked up at the clouds, watching their billowing, twisting shapes, silently contemplating. About what, she didn't quite know either. All she knew was that the beautiful blonde fascinated her, and that she didn't seem to be able to control her actions when she was within close proximity of her.

_Hmph._

The clouds she were watching were gray and heavy. It would rain soon.

_Stupid, stupid blonde_. Nanoha beat her fist against the wooden frame of the bench, ignoring the stab of pain.

Stupid blonde that made her stumble over her feet, that made her falter over the simplest of words.

_Stupid blonde._

**x**x**x**

It was raining by the time school ended.

The evening sun clung low in the sky, casting a red glow over the clouds. Nanoha shielded her eyes from the glare, squinting at the sun to gauge the time. Her watch had broken when she fell the night before, and she made a mental note to replace it.

_My second day wasn't that bad,_ Nanoha smiled to herself.

The brunette remembered the happy glow that she felt when she had given Hayate the cookies. It was even… quite enjoyable.

She stood at the top of the small flight of stairs outside the school entrance, rummaging in her bag for an umbrella. Fingers closing over the metal handle, she pulled it out and shook her foldable umbrella open.

Something bumped into her from behind, and the next thing she knew, she was falling.

The cold air roared in her ears, wind whipping her hair back. The umbrella flew out of her hands.

Expecting a flash of pain, Nanoha's scream was muffled when a pair of strong arms grabbed her before she hit the ground, and she collided into a warm body.

The pain never came.

The blonde stumbled back at the impact, looking as surprised as Nanoha felt. Arms were wrapped around Nanoha, instinctively steadying her.

Her face was inches away from the blonde's, who had saved her, yet again.

Cold rain lashed at her exposed skin, soaking through her clothes and making her shiver. Her umbrella lay on the ground, forgotten as Nanoha stared into a pair of stormy burgundy eyes, framed by long lashes spiked by the rain.

Nanoha didn't even bother trying this time, she knew she wouldn't be able to move even if she wanted to.

…Not like she wanted to.

"Testarossa-san!" A distant voice, calling.

Nanoha wanted to shake her head, to clear her mind of the foggy haze that had taken over. She couldn't move.

"Testarossa-san!" The annoying voice again, intruding, interrupting.

Interrupting what?

The blonde stepped back, turning away from Nanoha to look at the girl who was running towards them.

"Testarossa-san, you're drenched!" a high, whiny voice. "Why don't I give you a lift home?"

A stranger. A girl that she had never seen before.

Nanoha didn't like her already.

"There's space in the car for two," the newcomer encouraged when the blonde didn't say anything.

Nanoha's eyes narrowed, hands clenching into fists.

The rain hammered down harder, splashing loudly against the ground.

"I'm sorry," the blonde replied quietly, turning around to leave when someone else ran up with an umbrella.

"Testarossa-san, can I walk you home?" A guy, this time.

Nanoha didn't like him either.

"I asked her first!" the first girl protested, glaring angrily at the male.

"She's already declined your offer," the other spat back.

"No one wants to walk when they can ride, moron," the girl hissed.

Nanoha remembered what Hayate had said about Testarossa-san and her apparent popularity.

The two students were so busy bickering that they didn't realize that the subject of their discussion had already left.

Nanoha watched the retreating back of the blonde, a lone figure in the rain.

Before she knew what she was doing, she had picked up her umbrella and was running after her.

**x**x**x**

The blonde looked up in surprise when the incessant raindrops suddenly stopped beating against her head. She didn't say anything when Nanoha sheltered the both of them with her umbrella, just continued walking as though nothing had happened.

Nanoha struggled to keep up with her long strides, holding her umbrella between them. They walked in silence, the blonde not acknowledging her presence at all. Nanoha felt slightly miffed.

_How nice of her to not be grateful_, she growled to herself.

She stumbled around in the rain, following the taller girl until she could stand the silence no longer.

"You shouldn't walk in the rain without an umbrella, you'll get wet."

Wow, she had actually managed to speak a sentence without stammering! Nanoha felt proud of herself, then remembered what she was feeling proud about and promptly deflated.

"I'm _already_ drenched," the blonde deadpanned.

Nanoha scowled, and wondered again why she even bothered.

"Could you walk a little slower?" she complained suddenly.

The blonde shot her an amused look, but did as she requested, slowing down so Nanoha could catch up.

"Why are you following me?" she asked suddenly.

Nanoha faltered.

Why, exactly?

"I'm not following you," she snapped, defensive for no reason. "We just happen to be… walking the same way."

The other girl fell silent again, and they continued on.

Nanoha sneezed, shivering.

She shot a look at the girl beside her, who was walking calmly on, as if she didn't happen to be walking in the midst of a heavy storm.

Damn, didn't she feel cold at all?

Nanoha sneezed again.

"I get cold easily," Nanoha explained when the blonde shot her a glance.

"You should get home," the blonde said, her quiet voice betraying no emotion.

"No."

"You should get home." She repeated.

"I told you, we're going the same way," Nanoha growled, exasperated.

"It's late, you should get home before it turns dark," the taller girl explained simply.

Nanoha was at a loss for words, and she sneezed again.

The blonde stopped suddenly, and Nanoha almost walked on, passing her completely before doubling back.

"Takamachi-san," she said softly, pointing to something behind Nanoha. "Look at that."

"Huh?" Nanoha turned around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. "What-"

She was suddenly hyperaware of a warm presence behind her, and a hot breath warming the skin of her neck as a voice whispered into her ear.

"You should get home, Takamachi-san."

Nanoha whipped around, stumbling in surprise when she realized that the road was suddenly deserted. She ignored her tingling skin, and her sudden rapid breathing.

"What the hell…" she muttered.

She could make out a shadowy figure through the heavy rain, and a flash of lightning illuminated golden hair, before the silhouette was gone.

She blinked.

Hayate sure wasn't lying when she said that the blonde was fast.

**End Part Two.**

* * *

**A/N:** Yay for more Fate. :D Another introductory chapter, sort of. Where Nanoha gets to know a bit more about Fate. And we get the slightest hint of nanofate. Yay? :P

Thanks for sticking with me (: Again, I apologize if anything seems cliched / draggy / rushed. Still kinda new to this.

As always, reviews make my day :D

(The reviews for the previous chapter really kept me writing, thank you so much! :D)


	3. Chapter 3

_Slam, crash._

_She remembered screaming, running._

_And pain._

_A lot of pain. _

_It was night._

_There was shoving, and she was falling._

"_Not so brave without your friend now, are you?" _

_She remembered scrambling away._

_Scrape - raw, throbbing elbow._

_Pain._

_She remembered hitting the wall, then there was a moment of quiet, blissful silence. Blackness._

_Sounds of panic, running._

_Light._

"_Get the hell away from her!"  
_

_She remembered strong arms._

_A soft cotton shirt, a protective warmth. _

_Relief._

x**x**x

Takamachi Nanoha didn't want to wake up.

She mumbled something unintelligible, turning in bed to lie on her side, curled up into a ball. The bed was especially soft this day, warm and comfortable and oh so alluring. She snuggled into the pillows, cozy and content.

The satiny sheets were cool under her fingers, and she ran a sleepy hand over them, relishing in the feel. Smooth.

_Wait_. Nanoha stopped, something striking her as odd and out of place.

_I don't have silk sheets._

Long lashes snapped open, and dazed blue eyes blinked rapidly.

_What the hell?_

_Burgundy satin sheets?!_

Nanoha didn't need further proof to know that she wasn't in her own bed.

"You're awake."

x**x**x

**This Red Will One Day Wash Off**

(I Just Hope You'll Still Be Here)

- Enraptured

.

_& This Wasted Heart Will Love You (III)_

x**x**x

Nanoha turned her neck so fast she swore she heard a crick.

Calm burgundy eyes gazed at her wordlessly.

"You!" Nanoha sputtered, scrambling away. Tangled in the sheets, she didn't get very far.

"What? Where? How?"

The blonde was sitting on a chair beside the large bed, gazing down at her coolly.

"Which question do you want me to answer first?" a quiet drawl, relaxed and amused.

_How can she be so _normal_ at a time like this?!_

"Where am I?" Nanoha finally settled on asking, deciding that it was the most important question.

"You're in my house, in my room, and in my bed," the blonde informed casually, as if she did this all the time.

_Was that irritation in her voice?_

"What the hell am I doing in your bed?!" Nanoha almost shrieked, hands instinctively going to her chest.

Rough fabric met panicked fingers, and Nanoha sighed in relief. Her uniform was still intact.

_But of course_, mirthful red eyes scorned. _What did you expect?_

"You don't remember?"

Nanoha closed her eyes warily, and distorted visions of her dream came flooding back to her.

Only that it wasn't a dream.

Her eyes flew open, and she turned her arm to look at her right elbow.

There was a raw, angry scrape.

"The attack…" Nanoha trailed off, rubbing the bridge of her nose as her head throbbed.

The blonde nodded, leaning back in her chair and balancing on its hind two legs.

"You passed out at about the time I came, and I didn't know where you stayed so I brought you here," she explained matter-of-factly.

Nanoha pressed back into the sheets, welcoming its cool comfort. She covered her face with a pillow, trying to remember.

She only just realized that there was a gentle throbbing ache all over, and she was sure that there would be bruises if she checked.

The same group of bullies from the other night, looking for payback. And they had given it, hard.

She groaned.

_Why do these things keep happening to me?_

"Thank you," she finally mumbled, peeking up at the blonde from under her pillow. Nanoha looked away then, a small blush staining her cheeks.

It wasn't the first time the blonde had saved her.

The brunette stayed like this for a while longer, determinedly ignoring the fact that this wasn't her bed, and that she should really have been going.

"What time is it?" she asked vaguely, just to break the silence.

"Slightly after eleven," the blonde replied in a monotone.

_Shit!_

Nanoha bolted upright, causing the blonde to almost tip her chair over in surprise.

"School!" Nanoha cried an explanation, blue eyes darting about in panic. She was halfway out of bed when the blonde spoke.

"It's Saturday."

Nanoha blinked.

"Oh."

Her shoulders sagged in relief.

"You should call your parents before they get worried."

"It's okay, they're used to me staying over," Nanoha looked around the room for the first time since she woke.

"…Wow."

The room was large and elegantly furnished. Abstract paintings Nanoha didn't understand adorned one wall, and a sleek, slim stereo was lined against another. Precariously high stacks of discs sat next to it. Nanoha didn't need a second glance to tell that the entire set was extremely expensive, to say the least.

It was simple yet sophisticated, decorated in mostly the dark colors of red and black. There wasn't much, no soft toys or ornaments or even pictures in the entire room.

Nanoha rather liked it anyway. It suited the blonde's mysteriousness, her quiet elegance and style.

There was a pile of blankets and a beat-up pillow at the corner.

"Do you have a dog?" Nanoha asked, still trying to start a conversation.

"Yes."

"Where is it?"

"In the other room."

"Why?"

"Didn't know if you were allergic."

"Oh."

"And she bites."

"…Oh."

Nanoha smiled politely, then turned around and sighed.

_What an exciting conversation._

Huge, tinted, floor-to-ceiling windows lined the entire of another wall, keeping out most of the light yet providing a view. Maroon curtains were half-drawn, and Nanoha crossed over to look out of the glass.

She gasped.

The view was breathtaking.

"A penthouse?" She inquired, raising her eyebrows at the blonde who was still perched in her chair. She could tell they were really high up, and she knew that the view would be spectacular at night.

"Nice room," Nanoha tried again.

No reply.

The blonde raised a hand to brush back a stray lock of hair, and Nanoha caught sight of a flash of red.

"What's that?"

Burgundy eyes flickered to what Nanoha was looking at, before the arm was quickly lowered and hidden smoothly from view.

"Nothing."

Nanoha crossed over to the chair in a few quick strides, grabbing the girl's hand and holding it up. To her horror, a large, deep gash had marred otherwise perfect skin, and Nanoha instantly felt a pang of guilt.

"It's just a scratch," the blonde said easily, pulling her arm back.

"Right."

Sarcasm.

Nanoha didn't let go.

She remembered the flash of a sharp, silver dagger and immediately felt nauseous.

"It's old," the other girl lied lamely.

"It's _bleeding_!" Nanoha cried. "You better get this cleaned up before it gets worse."

The blonde wrenched her arm away, forcefully this time.

"I'm fine."

A cold, chilling tone that revoked no argument.

The brunette hissed in frustration.

Nanoha stalked over to the bathroom, before stopping and staring around warily. It was a huge bathroom, with black marble tiles and a large mirror covering one side of the wall. Spotless surfaces gleamed from beneath a muted yellow glow, throwing the room in dim light.

She hesitated, before reaching out to pull open the doors of the cabinet beneath the sink. She knew it was highly unethical to be rummaging through someone else's things, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

_Not like this is a very desperate time_, a sarcastic voice whispered in Nanoha's head, and she pushed it away guiltily.

For its size, the cabinet was surprisingly empty. Heck, there was nothing in it but a few unused tubes of toothpaste and a couple of new toilet rolls. That was it.

She closed the cabinet and turned around, exasperated, only to find a smirking blonde leaning against the doorframe, arms folded.

"I don't keep any bandages, if that's what you were searching for."

Nanoha wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug look off her face.

She settled for checking the glass ridge lining the wall outside the shower. A bottle of shampoo and a box of air freshener; as sparse as ever.

Nanoha growled.

And went next to the shelves built into the wall behind the door.

The infuriating blonde continued to watch her quietly, that annoying little half-smile still on her face. She looked supremely unconcerned at Nanoha's invasion of her privacy, choosing instead to observe without a word.

Two futile minutes later and Nanoha was forced to give up, concluding with annoyance that there was indeed, no sign of any bandages. Hell, there weren't even traces of any medical supplies. The bathroom was nearly empty despite its size, with nothing but the absolute essentials.

"Why don't you have any bandages?" she demanded, turning around to glare at her not so gracious host.

"Don't need them," came the simple reply.

The blonde was absently rubbing her wound, either not realizing or caring that she was causing the gash to reopen. Dark blood trickled down fair skin, the stark contrast sending shivers down Nanoha's spine.

"Stop that," Nanoha snapped, crossing over to grab the other girl's hand, stilling it mid-action. "You'll infect the wound."

The taller girl blinked and said nothing.

Nanoha sighed and rubbed her temples.

Why was that stupid blonde being so difficult?

And why, was she even _bothering_ to help?

The brunette dropped the blonde's hand, brushing past her back into the bedroom. She ignored the jolt of electricity of bare skin on skin.

"If you're done with your ahh, _inspection_, the door is that way."

Her mocking tone wasn't lost on Nanoha, and she narrowed her eyes.

_What is up with that girl?!_

Nanoha wanted to leave as soon as she could, but she remembered her manners. After all, she still was a guest, and the blonde _had_ saved her. She started to make the bed.

"That isn't necessary."

She ignored that voice, folding the sheets deftly and neatly. Fluffing the pillows, she arranged them at the head before stepping back and observing her work critically.

She couldn't even tell that the bed had been slept on.

Satisfied, Nanoha grabbed her bag from the floor, pausing only to check her reflection in the mirror for a fleeting second.

"I'll see myself out, then."

She left the room and crossed the hall, making a beeline for the entrance. Nanoha looked determinedly straight, face not betraying any emotion.

She hoped the blonde couldn't tell that she was considerably impressed by the sheer size of the house and the tasteful décor. Or that she was rather curious as to why most of the doors in the house were closed.

She vowed to never come back again.

Nanoha stopped at the door, pausing a moment before unlocking it and slipping out of the house.

The blonde didn't follow.

x**x**x

Nanoha pounded on the door for what seemed like the billionth time, tapping her feet impatiently. She jabbed the doorbell again, hearing the quiet chime of the bell reverberating throughout the house.

"Come on, damn it," she hissed to herself.

She could hear the doorbell from through the heavy oak door, there was no reason for the blonde not to hear it too. Besides, it had only been half an hour since she left, the girl couldn't have went out, could she?

She raised her fist to hammer on the door again

And stopped mid-bang when the door finally swung open.

"_What_?" a _very_ angry and disgruntled blonde snapped, a cross between a growl and a snarl.

She ran a hand through her tousled golden locks, looking as though she wanted nothing more than to wring Nanoha's neck.

The brunette quailed at the murderous look she was receiving. She averted her eyes, and blushed when she saw that the blonde was dressed in nothing but an oversized shirt that covered just enough.

"Can I come in?" She asked hesitantly, suddenly thinking that this was a very bad idea.

"_No_," the blonde said flatly, promptly slamming the door shut in Nanoha's face.

_What the hell?_

Nanoha punched the doorbell again.

The door was flung open, and the blonde didn't even attempt to conceal her annoyance this time.

"What the hell do you want, Takamachi?"

Nanoha didn't bother to answer, she just ducked under the blonde's arm and entered the house.

_So much for never coming back here again._

The blinds were drawn, casting the interior of the house in shade. It was cool and dim, and Nanoha registered the faint sound of music coming from somewhere in the house.

_Is that _classical_ music?_

The door clicked shut quietly.

Apparently the blonde had decided that arguing with her would be a waste of time. She ignored Nanoha completely, padding silently back into her room.

Nanoha followed.

The bed that Nanoha had previously made had obviously been slept in again, with rumpled blankets and messy pillows. The blonde stumbled up to it and collapsed headfirst into the cool sheets.

"Why are you sleeping in the middle of the day?" Nanoha wondered aloud.

The other girl looked up from her pillow and shot Nanoha a sour look.

_Because I was up all night watching you sleep. _

_Because I was on the streets fighting your battle. _

_Because you were in my bed and I couldn't leave you all alone._

The blonde didn't have to say a word; she expressed it all in her burgundy eyes.

"Ahh," Nanoha looked away, embarrassed. Another pang of guilt struck her.

That explained her cheerful disposition.

The girl's head fell back into the pillows, and she mumbled something incoherent.

Nanoha crossed over to the bed, sitting gingerly at the side and watching her quietly.

"I brought you something," she whispered softly, pulling out a fresh roll of bandages she had just bought.

"Don't… want," the blonde muttered, voice muffled by the pillow. She scooted away from Nanoha, hiding her injured arm under the sheets.

The brunette couldn't help but smile.

Reaching under the blanket, Nanoha carefully withdrew the blonde's arm, scowling when she saw that that the wound had yet to be cleaned.

"Hey, sit up a little," Nanoha coaxed.

"Mmph," the sleepy blonde grunted, trying to pull her arm back.

Nanoha tightened her grip, shaking the hand gently until its owner sat up, rubbing her eyes groggily with her other hand.

Bleary red eyes looked at slate blue.

Nanoha sighed. Obviously her host wouldn't want to walk to the bathroom.

Hopping off the bed, Nanoha made her way to the sink. She couldn't find a basin, so she filled a large cup with warm water. Grabbing the dry towel hanging by a hook behind the door, Nanoha went back to sit next to the blonde.

"This may sting a bit," Nanoha warned, dipping the edge of the towel into the warm water and brushing it gently over fair skin. The blonde didn't even flinch.

As quickly and thoroughly as she could, Nanoha cleaned the wound, making sure that she was applying little pressure. She didn't want to cause the blonde any more pain.

When she was done, the towel and cup were placed aside in favor of the newly-bought bandages.

The blonde was silent as Nanoha wrapped the white bindings over her freshly-cleaned wound, pulling tightly yet gently to ensure that it was secure. She sat, still as a statue save her regular breathing.

It was oddly… peaceful.

Nanoha patted the girl's arm to show that she was done. Strangely, she didn't feel like moving. The blonde emitted a natural warmth that she found comforting, and it was all Nanoha could do to not snuggle beside her.

She allowed herself a few seconds of indulgence, before she forced herself to stand.

"Um, I brought a few basic medical supplies since you didn't have any," Nanoha began shyly, shuffling her feet awkwardly. "I'll just put them here then."

She placed the bag of things she had bought on the bedside table. She honestly didn't know what to get, so she had settled with a little of everything. Hopefully, it was enough.

"You go ahead and rest, I'll see myself out," Nanoha spoke, mostly to herself, since the blonde was still not replying.

As quietly as she could, the brunette made her way out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

She hadn't walked more than a few steps before the door opened again and the tall blonde stumbled out.

They looked awkwardly at each other for a moment.

The blonde started walking towards the main entrance, and Nanoha followed silently.

The taller girl pulled open the door, stepping aside to let Nanoha pass. She smiled, a dashing smile that took Nanoha's breath away.

It didn't quite reach her eyes, but it was still beautiful to look at.

Outside the door, Nanoha stopped. She turned around.

"Um, thank you so much for everything, Testarossa-san," she whispered, bowing. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

The other girl blinked, then inclined her head slightly.

"Fate."

"Huh?" Nanoha didn't quite understand.

"Fate Testarossa," the blonde smiled. "And you're welcome. Take care, Takamachi-san."

The door closed shut, leaving a very confused Nanoha standing outside.

A wide, ridiculously large grin spread itself very slowly over the brunette's face.

Fate.

She couldn't explain why she felt so deliriously happy.

Fate.

_Fate._

**End Part Three.**

* * *

**A/N: **Wow, this is officially the chapter that I rushed out in record time. :D See? I told you reviews work wonders. xD (Now who owed me that cookie?)

And this is for Kasu-chan, whose finals start tomorrow. GOOD LUCK. :D

Anyway, an explanation for the sudden jump between chapt 2 and 3. I'm sorry if it's rushed (and shorter than usual), this was originally meant to be part 4, but I felt that it'd be too draggy if I wrote another schoolday and then end with a climatic fight scene. Besides, I was lazy, what else is new :P

This chapter was incredibly fun to write though. I'm as clueless as anyone else as to where this story is heading. I fail at plotting.

Reviews? :D -pokes. And thanks again for sticking with me!


	4. Chapter 4

The quiet scratching of pen on paper was the only sound that could be heard in the room. Wet black ink glistened momentarily, before seeping into white paper as messy scrawls. Nanoha's right hand flew over her script. Biting her nails nervously, she looked up at the clock, realizing with a pang that she had mere minutes left. Her frantic pen paused as her eyes went to the next question.

_Given further that the rate of change of height of the container is 1.2cm/s, how long will it take for Fate-chan to finally smile like she means it?_

Nanoha blinked.

_What?_

Slate blue eyes went back to the beginning of the sentence and Nanoha groaned when she realized her mistake. She stifled a curse, berating herself for losing focus.

_Not like it's entirely my fault_, Nanoha complained silently. The blonde possessed the uncanny knack of making Nanoha's concentration slip.

_That captivating burgundy is the perfect shade of red …_

_Stop it! _Nanoha's inner voice commanded. Shaking her head slightly to clear her thoughts, the brunette looked back at the question. She reread it.

Three times.

And each time no more successful than the last.

Sighing in frustration, Nanoha flipped the paper to move on to the next question before she lost _too_ many marks. It was no use, she found it hard enough to concentrate under the stressful test conditions, add in obsessing over the mysterious blonde and her concentration levels were near zero.

"Time's up! Pens down, please."

_Great._

Leaning back in defeat, Nanoha turned back to the cover page to write her name. Across her, Hayate turned and shot her a 'how-was-it?' look.

Nanoha scowled and shrugged.

It wasn't _that_ bad, at least she could possibly scrape a pass.

Right. And Arithmetic was supposed to be her strongest subject.

Sighing again, Nanoha looked down and gave a start when she read what she had written.

_Name: Takamachi NanoFate Testarossa._

_What the hell?!_

Hurriedly crossing out the words in horror, Nanoha groaned.

It was going to be a _long_ day.

x**x**x

**Like A Book Elegantly Bound, But…**

(In A Language You Can't Read)

- Enraptured

_._

_& This Wasted Heart Will Love You (IV)_

x**x**x

"Lunch?" Nanoha asked eagerly, approaching Hayate's table. She pushed away all depressing thoughts of possibly failing the test, determined not to let one small thing ruin her day.

The shorter girl obviously had about as much luck as Nanoha with the test, her table was strewn with crumpled balls of wrong solutions. Hayate cleared them sheepishly, sweeping them off her tabletop.

"Ahh, I'm afraid I can't, Nanoha-chan, I have a student council meeting," Hayate said, looking incredibly apologetic.

"Oh that's okay!" Nanoha tried to conceal her disappointment. She just realized that she pretty much had no one else to go for lunch with. "I didn't know you were on the council!"

"It's a crummy job, but someone's got to do it," Hayate joked. "You sure you're going to be okay on your own?"

Of course!" Nanoha assured her, a bright smile in place.

It was only after Hayate left the classroom when Nanoha allowed her false grin to slip off her face. Truth was, she didn't like being alone much.

Blowing out a breath of air, the brunette grabbed her purse and wandered aimlessly along the corridor. She thought of all the noisy, smiling faces in the cafeteria and suddenly didn't really feel like eating any longer.

_Sucks to be new._

If she had to be alone, she'd go somewhere where no one could see her, Nanoha decided. She walked a little longer, before spotting a sign that read 'Rooftop Access'.

Smiling slightly at the privacy that would provide, she started climbing the stairs.

x**x**x

The first thing Nanoha noticed was that she was not the only one on the roof.

The second thing Nanoha noticed was that there was a beautiful, beautiful blonde standing at the edge of the building, back to the door.

The third thing Nanoha noticed was that she was alone with Fate Testarossa, again.

The fourth thing Nanoha noticed was that her blonde protector was perilously close to the edge.

She was… about to jump any moment.

Panic like she'd known filled her, suffocated her.

That was the last coherent thought Nanoha had before she dropped her purse and started running like she had never ran before.

x**x**x

"_Fate-chan!!_"

"?!"

Fate grunted in surprise when a Nanoha-shaped body slammed into her. Arms entwined themselves around her waist from behind, with Nanoha tugging at Fate desperately.

Startled red eyes blinked in confusion at the brunette, while the white earphones in which Fate had been using came dislodged from the impact, blaring music that went ignored by both students.

The earphones hit the floor and bounced off the building, hanging like double pendulums suspended by white wire.

The music stopped, and there was silence for a minute.

"If my iPod had dropped, Takamachi, I swear I'd have sent you down after it," the annoyed blonde promised threateningly.

Nanoha ignored her, pulling with all her might at the warm, frustratingly stock-still body.

"…What are you doing now?" There was irritation in Fate's tone, but Nanoha could have sworn that her burgundy eyes were glinting with slight amusement as they gazed at Nanoha's futile efforts.

The other girl was still tugging at Fate with all her strength, trying her best to draw her off the ledge.

Fate didn't as much as budge.

Nanoha finally stopped, pausing a moment to regain her breath.

"I'm saving you!" she proclaimed resolutely, arms still around the taller girl.

"From what?"

"Death by suicide jumping!" Nanoha resumed her efforts, pulling at the exasperatingly immobile blonde.

"… …"

Neither said anything for a moment, until Fate finally broke the silence.

"Takamachi?"

"Yes?"

More pulling and tugging.

"I wasn't going to jump."

"…Really?"

"Really." The blonde's voice was a mixture of tiredness, exasperation, and… amusement?

"…Oh."

Nanoha let her arms fall limply to her sides. She could hear the pounding of her rapid heartbeat and the roar of blood in her ears as the heat rushed to her cheeks.

_I did _not_ just do that._

She took a tentative step back, feeling as though her legs could not support her weight.

_I did not just fling my arms around an almost-total stranger for five minutes attempting to save her from jumping when she _wasn't going to jump_._

Fate was still looking at her with that unreadable eyes and annoying half smile-smirk.

_I did!_

Nanoha groaned, wanting very much to just throw herself off the edge and die. Death was better than this humiliation.

"Oh! Um. I-I'll just… leave now, then. S-Sorry for intruding."

Her nervous stammering was _really_ not helping things.

She was about to turn and leave, before she remembered something.

"Oh, is your hand better?" she asked carefully, not knowing how Fate would react.

"I'm fine."

Nanoha rolled her eyes at the predictable and oh-so-original reply.

"Have you changed the bandages?"

Wine red eyes blinked once, twice.

"Am I… supposed to?"

Nanoha stared in disbelief.

"Um, I mean, yes. That is I… Of course I did." A sleeve-covered arm went behind her back, effectively hiding from Nanoha's searching gaze. A light blush colored pale cheeks.

"Right," Nanoha said wryly. She reached one hand out, but the blonde was faster, and a second later Nanoha found her wrist in a vice-like grip.

"I'm _fine_," Fate emphasized.

"I can stop by later if you want, to change the bandages," Nanoha offered uncertainly, trying and failing to pull out of the tight grasp.

"Don't bother," Fate muttered, dropping Nanoha's hand and turning away.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Nanoha asked, suddenly curious, her earlier embarrassment having faded somewhat.

"I wanted to be _alone_," Fate said pointedly.

"Oh, I wanted to be alone too!" Nanoha didn't quite get Fate's hint.

"Well, two alones make one company," Fate said dryly. "One of us should leave."

Nanoha's shoulders slumped.

"Um, I'll go then," she said quietly, suddenly crushed.

Fate made no move to stop her.

x**x**x

A rather subdued Nanoha made her way pass laughing students, not really looking at where she was going.

_Who cares what she thinks, anyway._

The more she thought about it, the more upset she became. She kicked at an empty can carelessly, totally missing it in her rage.

_What is her problem? I was just trying to help!_

She turned the corridor, approaching her classroom without even intending to.

_Why must she be so difficult?_

_That's it_, Nanoha decided firmly. _She's not worth the trouble._

_The next time I see her, I'm ignoring her, _the brunette swore.

"Takamachi-san!"

Nanoha turned at the sound of her name, and the moment blue eyes met red, her earlier resolve crumbled.

_Wow, that promise lasted a whole two seconds._

"Here, you forgot this," Fate said, holding out Nanoha's purse. Nanoha noticed that she was breathing slightly heavily, and that her blonde hair was windswept from running.

She flushed at the thought of the blonde chasing after her.

"T-Thank you," Nanoha stuttered. Fingers brushed, and the brunette jumped as if electrocuted.

"This reminds me," Fate reached into her pocket, pulling out a long red ribbon.

"You left this at my place the other day."

Nanoha looked down at her collar. She didn't remember taking out her ribbon at Fate's house, but she remembered not being able to find it when she reached home.

_When had she removed it?_

"I untied it while you were unconscious," Fate clarified, as if reading Nanoha's thoughts. "I didn't want you to have difficulty breathing, or something."

_How sweet._ Nanoha blushed, biting her lower lip uncomfortably. She was suddenly aware of the group of students that had stopped their idle chatter to stare at the exchange between them.

"Thank you," Nanoha repeated softly.

Fate hesitated.

"I didn't mean it, you know," she mumbled quietly, burgundy eyes not looking at Nanoha. "I didn't mean it when I said that one of us should leave."

Nanoha's heart soared, and she felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

_She is so confusing._

Her blush darkened, and Nanoha couldn't stop the smile that touched her lips.

"Do you need help putting that on?" Fate asked suddenly, inclining her head towards the red ribbon in Nanoha's hands.

_She wants to _what_!?_

Breathing suddenly ragged, Nanoha held up the string mutely, suddenly losing the ability to speak again.

Cool fingers brushed against Nanoha's warm ones and the next moment, they were flittering about her collar, dancing across each other as Fate swiftly and deftly wound the string into a perfect ribbon.

Nanoha felt faint.

Her heart felt as though it was stuck in her throat, and she found it incredibly hard to breathe. A shaky hand went out to grab Fate's shoulder instinctively, seeking support as her knees shook. The intimacy of the act alone left Nanoha unable to think, never mind Fate's close proximity to her.

The blonde was soon done, straightening back up from having to bend down to Nanoha's level.

It was her way of silently apologizing for her harsh words earlier, and they both knew it.

"T-T-Thank…" Nanoha managed to croak out. As far as the brunette was concerned, Fate was forgiven. "T-Thank you, Fate-chan."

"Did you hear that!" a loud whisper reached Nanoha's ears. Absently realizing that she could hear again now that her heart was not pounding in her ears, Nanoha found that she was in the centre of a rather large crowd that had gathered around them. Fate too, seemed to just realize the same thing and was looking around warily.

"She called Testarossa-san 'Fate-chan'!"

"Of all the _nerve_!"

"Who does she think she is?!"

Nanoha blinked uneasily, suddenly realizing that she was in the middle of a very unhappy, _very_ jealous group of Fate-Forever fans.

"Nyahaha," Nanoha laughed nervously, taking a step back. She threw a terrified glance at her blonde friend, whose face was back to its impassive mask.

A redhead with an obnoxiously short skirt had broken out of the crowd. She stalked purposely towards Fate.

"Testarossa-san! Could you help me with my ribbon?" she whined in a high, falsely sweet voice. She held up a similar red ribbon that Nanoha was sure she had just yanked off from her own neck seconds ago.

Nanoha growled.

The girl was fluttering her eyelashes at Fate, who looked… highly disconcerted.

Flutter, flutter.

_I hope her eyes drop out_, Nanoha snarled vehemently to herself. Her fingernails bit into her palms as she clenched her fists, hard.

She blinked, shocked at her sudden sadism.

Fate was still not moving, and the girl decided to take things one step further. Stepping closer, she held Fate's hand and pressed her ribbon into it.

She didn't let go of the hand.

Nanoha exploded.

"Get _away_ from her," she snapped, moving to stand in between the other two girls. She didn't care that she had to shove a bit to get the redhead a decent distance away from her Fate-chan.

Wait, _her_ Fate-chan?

Snatching the ribbon from Fate's unmoving fingers, Nanoha approached the other girl.

"If you need help with this, I'd gladly be able to help," she said, voice dangerously sweet.

The idea of strangling had never before seemed so inviting.

"And who are you?" the redhead sneered.

Before Nanoha could reply, there was a cool grip on her arm, and Fate was steering her into her classroom with superhuman speed.

"Stay here," the blonde hissed into her ear.

The next instant, she was out of the classroom. The door swung shut, and there was a sudden burst of noise from outside.

"Testarossa-san!"

"Who was she? You deserve better!"

"Someone like me!"

"Someone like me, more like!"

Closing her eyes, Nanoha slumped into her seat, and thanked god that at least Fate-chan could run fast.

x**x**x

The ruby bead glittered under the strong light, and Nanoha sighed.

_This isn't it._

Replacing it, she withdrew another one, this time scarlet.

_This isn't it either._

"What _are_ you doing?" came Hayate's impatient voice. She was watching Nanoha pick up bead after bead, shaking her head at each one.

Nanoha rolled a crimson bead between her fingers.

_Close, but not quite._

"Choosing beads for a bracelet," Nanoha murmured distractedly.

"Thanks for stating the obvious. I meant, why are you so picky over the colors? Red is red." Hayate complained, shifting her books from one arm to the other.

Nanoha had insisted that they stop and enter a crystal store, while walking Hayate to her café. And to Hayate's annoyance, she had spent the last half an hour looking through different beads of red, red, and red.

"The color matters!" Nanoha protested.

Who would have known that it was so hard to find the exact shade of burgundy...

"Who is it for, anyway?" Hayate asked, moving to peer over Nanoha's shoulder at the array of red.

"A friend," the brunette replied, trying to sound casual.

_A friend, _Nanoha repeated to herself.

_Fate-chan is just a friend._

x**x**x

Nanoha punched the button, watching as red lights indicated that the lift was descending. With a quiet 'ding', the metal doors slid open smoothly.

She froze when she saw that the lift was occupied. Or specifically, froze when she saw _who_ was in it.

Fate looked up, surprise evident on her face at a sheepish Nanoha waiting to get into the lift leading to her penthouse. She was in a white top and black jeans, with a long black trenchcoat that reached her knees.

Nanoha couldn't help but think that she looked all set to play the part of the mysterious, cool, sexy protector again.

_Wait, where did 'sexy' come from!?_

"Good evening, Takamachi-san," Fate greeted. She raised an eyebrow at Nanoha questioningly. "Were you looking for me?"

"Fate-chan," Nanoha nodded. "I was free, so I decided to pop by to check on you and change your bandages, since you obviously didn't do it on your own."

"I thought I told you that I'm fine?" Fate frowned.

"And I thought you knew by now that I'm pretty stubborn," Nanoha smiled.

Fate stepped out of the lift, and the doors clanged shut,

"I appreciate the thought, Takamachi-san, but not tonight," Fate murmured, already walking away from Nanoha. "I'm busy."

Nanoha was left standing there watching Fate disappear into the night, before something struck her and she was running after the blonde.

"Fate-chan!"

Fate didn't stop, but she did slow down. Nanoha caught up with her.

"I got you something," she said breathlessly, reaching into her bag and pulling out the red and black bracelet she had made earlier. "As thanks for helping me so many times."

Fate looked at the bracelet wordlessly, not moving to take it.

"I tried to get the exact shade of your eyes, but I guess there's no emulating the original…" Nanoha trailed off when Fate didn't say anything.

"I don't wear bracelets," Fate turned away quietly.

_What!?_

Nanoha's heart stopped.

"… but this is an exception." Fate looked at Nanoha and smiled. Something seemed to light up in her burgundy eyes as she accepted the gift, holding it up to examine it under the moonlight.

"…It's beautiful."

A warm feeling filled Nanoha, and she grinned at the blonde's praise. Fate-chan liked her present! It took her an incredibly large amount of effort to not break out into some ridiculous dance.

"Thank you, Nanoha."

Nanoha froze. Fate took a cautious step back when Nanoha whipped around suddenly.

"What?" She asked suspiciously, not liking the gleam in the shorter girl's slate blue eyes.

"You said my name!"

"Oh." Fate turned her head to look up at the moon. There was no mistaking the shy blush that crept up porcelain cheeks.

"You're _blushing_!" Nanoha said incredulously.

"Shut up, Takamachi." The red tinge on fair skin darkened, and Fate looked determinedly away from Nanoha.

"Don't call me that," Nanoha whined.

"What, 'Takamachi'?"

"Uh huh," Nanoha nodded, staring with amazement at the reddening of the other girl's skin.

"Stop looking at me," Fate snapped. Nanoha's staring only served to make her blush harder. "What am I supposed to call you?"

"You're nice to look at," Nanoha shrugged.

Did she just say that?

"And you can call me my other name," Nanoha quickly added before what she had said earlier had time to sink in.

"You have two names now?" Fate deadpanned.

"My real name!" Nanoha scowled.

"So I've been calling you a fake name all along?" Fate feigned horror, smirk evident even in her voice.

"You're impossible," Nanoha complained. She walked beside Fate, not knowing where she was going and not really caring.

"Where do you stay?" Fate asked suddenly, stopping abruptly. "I'll walk you home."

"It's okay," Nanoha declined the offer. She didn't want to cause the blonde any more trouble, after all.

"I said, I'll walk you home," Fate insisted. There was a stubborn set to her jaw that told Nanoha it was useless to argue. "Lead the way, Takamachi."

Nanoha couldn't contain her smile.

Maybe she should take the long route home.

**End Part Four**

* * *

**A/N: **Not too rushed, I hope :P I'm pretty busy with school these few days, so updates may be less frequent ):

I _will _be introducing other characters as the plot (what plot?!) progresses though. And I've yet to mention their clubs and all, I already have them in mind, though :D

Thanks so, so much for the reviews! :D See, they made me write Part Four. And thanks for those who contributed plot ideas! :D

**Asakura89**: You are so on. I loved the Fate picture you drew! :D (Though maybe two chapters? -hopeful)

Reviews would, as usual, be awesome :D


	5. Chapter 5

Fate Testarossa liked her privacy. She was someone who enjoyed being alone, after all.

Which probably explained why she was _not_ amused when the chime of the doorbell echoed loudly throughout the large house. Rubbing her eyes groggily, Fate stumbled towards the door and wrenched it open.

"Good morning, Fate-chan!"

Fate stared. Only _one_ person she _semi_-knew would be so damned _chirpy_ at nine in the morning.

She _really_ couldn't believe how stubborn some people could get.

'x**x**x

**All is Full of Love**

(You Just Ain't Receiving)

- Enraptured

_._

_& This Wasted Heart Will Love You (V)_

"And may I inquire the reason as to _why_ you have so kindly decided to pay me a visit at this early hour?" Fate's sarcastic greeting didn't bother Nanoha, she had come prepared for a less-than-friendly welcome.

"I told you, I'm going to change your bandages," Nanoha announced cheerfully. "And I _know_ you didn't change them yourself, so don't even try," she added quickly, seeing Fate open her mouth to protest.

"Besides, I brought brownies," Nanoha tried hopefully, holding up her offering.

_So _that's_ what the smell was._ The blonde eyed the paper bag skeptically. _Damn, it smelled… good. _

"I will _not_ be bribed by sickeningly sweet treats," Fate said unconvincingly.

There was a loud grumbling sound.

Nanoha blinked, then burst out in giggles when Fate colored, looking (cutely) outraged at her stomach's betrayal.

"There's extra chocolate," Nanoha informed happily.

"How did you know that I like chocolate?" Fate narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Nanoha shrugged. It hadn't been hard to find out the popular student's likes and dislikes, it was practically common knowledge around the school.

… Okay, so _maybe_ it had taken _some_ effort on her part.

"Brunette instinct. Now can I come in?"

Sighing in defeat, Fate stepped back reluctantly and mumbled a mournful goodbye to whatever plans for sleeping in that she originally had.

xxx

Burgundy eyes watched sleepily as deft fingers unwound the bandages on her arm.

"Hey Takamachi-san, you know you didn't have to come all the way down on a weekend morning to do this, right?"

"I don't mind," Nanoha said, frowning slightly when she confirmed that Fate had indeed not bothered to wash her wound. "Besides, it's my fault that you got injured anyway, _and_ it's not like you'll do it yourself."

"Mm," Fate hummed evasively, leaning back into the sofa and closing her eyes, letting Nanoha do her stuff.

Moments later, Nanoha watched, amused, as Fate wrinkled her nose and opened her eyes in annoyance.

"What is that smell?" Fate wondered.

"Antiseptic, it helps to prevent infection."

"It smells like… iodine."

"That's because it _is _part iodine."

"I don't like the smell of iodine," Fate complained.

It sounded _almost_ like a whine. Nanoha bit her lip, hiding her smile.

"You can get a brownie after this if you sit still and stop complaining," Nanoha promised.

"…Really?"

"Really."

"Okay," Fate mumbled, eyes sliding shut again.

Nanoha _did_ smile this time. She couldn't help it.

xxx

"I'm done," Nanoha stated.

Fate cracked open one eyelid.

"Do I get my brownie now?"

Nanoha rolled her eyes and handed the bag over to Fate, who sat up and tore it open excitedly. Sniffing its contents, she looked up at Nanoha.

"Did you bake this?"

"Nyahaha, I can't bake at all! My parents own a bakery though, so I just helped myself to some," Nanoha replied sheepishly.

"It smells… heavenly," Fate murmured softly, staring into the bag.

Nanoha found herself suddenly feeling rather hot, and she picked idly at the black leather she was currently sitting on.

"Hey, Takamachi-san…"

Nanoha scowled and seized the bag of brownies.

"Oi, what the hell!" Fate lunged for her treats, but Nanoha, expecting the move, held them out of reach.

"Nanoha," Nanoha emphasized.

"Huh?!" Fate was obviously not in the mood to play games, trying again and failing to snatch back her brownies.

"Na-no-ha," Nanoha enunciated, "Nanoha. Say it."

Fate gritted her teeth in irritation, and Nanoha saw a muscle jump in her cheek. Red eyes darted from Nanoha to the bag, and back to Nanoha again.

They stared at each other in silence, neither willing to back down.

The seconds ticked past slowly.

"…Nanoha," Fate finally growled, giving in and holding out her hand for the brownies.

"That's better," Nanoha grinned, still holding the brownies out of reach. "No more 'Takamachi-san' crap. And oh, you need to say 'please' if you want these back."

Nanoha waved the paper bag in front of the blonde's nose and snatched it away before Fate could grab it, giggling when Fate seethed in silence.

xxx

"Are you going to say it yet?" Nanoha asked in a singsong voice, dangling her bait.

Fate just growled and said nothing.

"Well, if you don't want these, maybe I should just leave-

"NO!" Fate roared, half-standing.

Nanoha snickered. It was _so_ fun to tease the blonde when you knew how.

"Say it, then."

Fate glowered at Nanoha, determinedly ignoring the incessant rumble of her stomach.

"Never."

xxx

"You know, if you don't say it anytime soon, the brownies will turn bad."

Fate looked up from the newspapers she was reading.

"Brownies do not turn bad after an hour."

"They do in the presence of iodine-air," Nanoha lied. "I know, my family owns a bakery, remember?"

Fate shifted, looking disbelieving but at the same time uncomfortable.

"Honestly, Fate-chan, will it kill you to say 'please'?" Nanoha rolled her eyes, amazed at her friend's stubbornness.

"It _will_ if you're the one _forcing_ me to say it," Fate muttered, flipping the page with unnecessary violence.

"Well, you better either say it fast, or think of another way to get the sugary-sweet-double-chocolate-fudge-with-extra-caramel-and-chocolate-chips brownies before they turn bad," Nanoha taunted.

The moment Fate looked up with _That Look_ on her face; Nanoha _knew_ that she had said something she shouldn't have.

"W-What?"

"Do you like dogs, _Nanoha_?" Fate stood suddenly, lips curled up in what Nanoha thought was a very evil smile indeed. Crossing over the hall, Fate stopped in front of what Nanoha recognized was the door to her room.

"You have one, right?"

"Mm. I didn't want to let her out at first because I didn't know what you would think, but now…"

"So you're trying to threaten me with a cute little puppy?" Nanoha snorted.

Judging from the frantic scratching noises, it was obvious to Nanoha that whatever was in the room knew that Fate was just outside the door. The brunette eyed the door warily. The scratching noises were rather… loud.

"Actually, 'cute little puppy' would hardly be the words I'd chose to describe Arf."

When the door opened, Nanoha felt the smile slide off her shocked face.

A… _thing_ the size of a wolf was staring straight at her, hackles raised and teeth bared. Russet fur bordered on the shade of red, which was the most… _interesting_ color of fur that Nanoha had ever seen on a … dog-thing.

Not that she was in the position to admire it.

Arf growled, and Nanoha whimpered.

She opened her mouth to try and say something, but no words would come out.

"Nanoha, I'd like you to meet Arf."

Damn it, Nanoha could practically _hear_ the smirk in Fate's voice.

xxx

"H-How did she get so _big_?" Nanoha tried to keep the panic out of her voice. It wouldn't do for Fate to know that she was _terrified_ of the giant dog.

"She eats humans for breakfast," Fate said sarcastically. "No, I just treat her well."

Fate was kneeling in front of Arf now, stroking her and murmuring things into her ear that Nanoha couldn't hear. Considering the exited way Arf wagged her (giant) tail and licked Fate's face, Nanoha could tell that they were very close.

_How… unexpected. _

"Would you like to pet her?"

_What!?_

Fate, with one hand on the back of Arf's collar, was gently urging the dog towards Nanoha.

"H-Hey, _no_!" Nanoha abandoned all pretense and scooted to the furthest end of the sofa, far away from the approaching animal. Arf leapt nimbly onto the couch before Nanoha could jump off it, effectively trapping the girl between the armrest and her massive bulk.

"N-Nyaa_aa_!!!!"

Fate was giggling at Nanoha's horrified expression.

"Give her a brownie," Fate suggested helpfully, coming behind Nanoha to sit on the armrest, observing Nanoha's imminent death with what Nanoha felt was unnecessary calm.

"Hello, I'm about to die here!" Nanoha cried when Arf forced her muzzle under Nanoha's chin, sniffing at her neck.

Fate rolled her eyes at the dramatics, reaching over to pat Arf's head and gently pushing it away.

Nanoha scrambled to remove a piece of brownie from its bag, but her trembling fingers fumbled and she dropped it on her shirt. The next thing she knew, there was a warm presence against her stomach, and the brownie was gone.

Arf licked her jaws and looked expectantly at Nanoha, tongue hanging out.

Nanoha blinked, before reaching into the bag. Fingers shaking, she offered the sticky treat to the dog hesitantly; ever ready to wrench her hand away should Arf show any signs of wanting to bite her hand off.

The dog was more concerned with the brownie though, clamping it between her jaws and slobbering all over Nanoha's hand. Nanoha squealed and fed Arf another, this time less cautious.

"Hey, don't give her all of it!" Fate protested, quickly stealing a brownie from the bag before Nanoha could stop her.

Popping the whole piece into her mouth, Fate chewed carefully, an expression of pure delight crossing her features.

"Nanoha!" she said thickly from around her brownie. "This is the best brownie I have ever tasted."

"Is it?" Nanoha blushed at the compliment, offering the dog, which she was now growing to like, another piece.

"Mm. Arf seems to think so too, she doesn't usually warm up to strangers that fast," Fate reached for another piece but Nanoha swatted her hand away.

"You haven't said the word yet!" Nanoha scolded, deliberately feeding Arf another piece of the rapidly diminishing brownies. She let Arf lick her fingers.

"No!"

"Fine," Nanoha fed Arf another piece, hiding her grin when Fate bit her lip nervously, eyeing the few pieces of brownies left.

"You know, seeing as you're not saying it, I might as well feed the whole bag to Arf…"

Fate's eyes widened.

"You _wouldn't_."

"Watch me." Nanoha taunted, tearing the bag all the way down its side, exposing the treats within.

"_Alright_! Fine! '_Please'_, happy?!"

"Very," Nanoha smiled, reaching up to pat Fate's head and then wondering why she had done that. "Good girl."

Fate blushed and looked away.

Which wasn't a very smart thing to do, as Arf, seizing her chance, swooped down and devoured every last piece of the brownies.

"_Arf_!" Fate shouted in horror, making the giant dog stop mid-chew rather comically. "Arf, that was _mine_!"

Nanoha stared at Fate's violent reaction.

"_I even said 'please' for it!"_ Fate griped, looking absolutely horrified and crushed.

Whimpering apologetically, Arf padded over to her mistress and promptly spat out the wet and sticky remains of the brownie into Fate's hand obediently.

The blonde twitched.

Nanoha couldn't stop her laughter.

xxx

Fate was moping in the corner by herself, glaring at Nanoha playing with Arf.

"I'm hungry."

Nanoha looked up, and burst out laughing (yet again) at the near-pout expression on the blonde's face.

"This wouldn't have happened if you had just said 'please' in the beginning."

Fate narrowed her eyes.

"I'm going to get food," Fate announced, standing up. "And not give you any. Or even better, I should make you _beg_ for it, like how you so cruelly made me-

"I most certainly did _not_ make you '_beg'_ for it-

"And let you _starve in the corner_ while I play with Arf-

"You are _not_ '_starving in the corner'_-

"And look up every once in a while to laugh at your plight-

"You are _not_ in a '_plight'_-

"And _heartlessly deny_ that I've done anything wrong-

"Mou! Alright, _alright_, I'm sorry!" Nanoha gave in, waving her arms to signal defeat.

Arf whined, and pushed her muzzle into Nanoha's hand, looking hopefully up at her. The dog's tongue hung out, panting slightly.

"No, I do _not_ have any more brownies, a fact that you and your owner should _get into your thick heads_," Nanoha said loudly.

Fate ignored her, walking towards the kitchen. Just before she entered, she stopped and looked as though she was waging an inner war with herself.

"What's up?" Nanoha looked curiously at her friend, who was staring at her with a pained expression on her face.

"…Dyouwantanythingtoeat?"

Nanoha blinked, before realized what Fate had said, and she burst out into laughter again.

Fate flushed and disappeared into the kitchen.

Nanoha turned back to Arf.

"You know, you have such an adorably helpless owner."

"Oi! I heard that!"

Nanoha was silent.

"…Nanoha?" Fate voice floated out from the kitchen.

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

Nanoha felt her jaw drop in shock, before she got a hold on herself and closed it.

"For the brownies? No problem, I didn't bake them anyway, and besides, you only got to eat a piece…"

"No, I meant thanks, for everything."

Nanoha smiled.

xxx

The brunette stared at the bowl that Fate had placed in front of her.

"Instant ramen?" Nanoha teased, poking her food with her chopsticks.

"Ahh, I'm sorry I can't cook," Fate scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

"So you eat this everyday?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Mou, Fate-chan! These are really unhealthy!" Nanoha chided gently. "They're loaded with salt and preservatives, and too much of those aren't good for you, especially on a daily basis."

"But it's convenient," Fate defended herself, looking down at her food.

"… You're bad at looking after yourself, you know that?"

"Mm…"

"Seriously, I wonder what your mother says about you."

The moment the words left Nanoha's lips, she knew she had said something wrong. Fate stiffened almost instantly; face hardening into an unreadable look.

"Fate…chan?" Nanoha asked hesitantly. "I'm sorry, did I say something I shouldn't have?"

Fate shook her head. "Shall we eat?"

_Fate-chan…_ Nanoha stared at her friend. _Why did she look so sad?_

**_END PT FIVE._**

**A/N:** Sorry for the very short chapter, I didn't intend on updating (am still in midst of finals) but I was nagged to by certain annoying people. xD Thanks for hanging with me though, I really appreciate it. Oh and this wasn't proofread, so uh sorry if there're errors.

Also apologizing for any crappiness on my part, I'm kinda out of the loop having not written for the past billionxz months, and I've kinda forgotten what happened LOL. On the bright side, I have a plot for this now! :P

Shoutout to Kasumi, V, Rae, Aki and Fae (MAI HERO), you people are awesomexzx. And big hi to Nao too!

**PS: **The next chapter will be longer (and hopefully better), promise! :D Reviews would be awesome, as usual. Thanks for reading!


End file.
